Display device



Aug. 19, 1969 v c. J. HALL 7 3,462,

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 1,..1967 v x 1 v 5 Sheets-$heetl mmvrok m m 5J/lMt'S HAM Aug-19,1969 c. J. HALL 3,462,020

' DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 1. 1967 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (f/ARL 5JAMfS HAL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 1, 196? 3' Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORUnited States Patent 3,462,020 DISPLAY DEVICE Charles J. Hall, Toronto,Ontario, Canada, assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey Filed June 1, 1967, Ser. No. 646,416 Int. Cl.A47f 7/00; A47g 29/80; B65d /50 US. Cl. 211-13 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A display device for a plurality of articles in which thedevice is triangular in cross section. Article receiving means disposedin sloping side walls of the device include a flap which is pushed outof the plane of the side walls into engagement with a segmented base.Flap extensions on abutting segments of the base are suitably retainedto provide a vertical support for the apex of the device.

This invention relates to a display device and more particularly to sucha device for displaying a plurality of articles such as incandescentbulbs or the like.

A principal difficulty previously experienced with display device forauto bulbs and the like is that the bulbs tend to become dislodged fromthe device in the course of its shipment. This may be attributedpartially to the fact that prior art devices have frequently relied uponan outer container to provide the necessary rigidity to the package toretain the articles in place. In the course of shipment, the outerdevice becomes twisted or deformed and because of the weakness of theholder for the articles, the latter become displaced thereby presentingrelatively unsightly and untidy merchandise.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea display device for a plurality of articles which may be retained bythe display device while being shipped without loss to or dislodgment ofthe merchandise.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a displaydevice from a single flat blank which is sufiiciently sturdy in and ofitself to retain the'display articles while still revealing the naturethereof to the ultimate purchaser.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a displaydevice which will hold its shape during transit. 7

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparentupon reference to the detailed specification and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blank made in ac cordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 in a partiallyfolded condition;

FIG.-3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 illustrating anotherpartially folded condition subsequent to the FIG. 2 position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 in its fully foldedand erected position with articles in place;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, with parts broken away,illustrating a locking feature for the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a blank made in ac- "ice cordance withanother embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along line 8-8 of the blank inFIG. 7 after the blank has been fully folded and erected with articlesin place.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a blank, indicatedgenerally at 10, having a fold line 12 which forms an apex for container10 when fully folded and erected. On one side of fold line 12 of theerected device is a first sloping wall 14 and on the other side of foldline 12 is a second sloping wall 16. Sloping wall 14 terminates at afold line 18 opposite fold line 12, and sloping wall 16 terminates atfold line 20 opposite fold line 12.

A first bottom segment 22 is integrally attached to fold line 18 on oneside of blank 10 while a second bottom segment 24 is integrally attachedto fold line 20 on the other side of the blank 10. Each bottom segment22 and 24 is provided with a fold line at 26 and 28 respectively todefine flaps 30 and 32 respectively. Flaps 30 and 32 define bridgingsupport members in the fully folded and erected blank as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

Each of the sloping walls 14 and 16 is provided with a series ofsubstantially circular cutout patterns identified by the numeral 34. Aseries of radial slits 36 extend from the susbtantially circular cutouts34 with one end of the circular slits terminating at the susbtantiallycircular cutout 34. The radial slits 36 define a series of tongues 38 ina substantally sunburst pattern. Tongues 38 .providerigidity to anarticle received in a series of flaps or support members 39 which arepushed out of the planes of the sloping side walls 14 and 16. Thesubstantially circular cutout patterns 34 leave an uncut portionidentified at 40 about which the tab or support members 39 pivot as theyare pushed downwardly from the planes of sloping side walls 14 and 16. Aseries of semicircular cut patterns 42 interrupt the continuity of foldlines 18' and 20 so as to define a series of feet 44 which are integralwith the sloping side walls 14 and 16 and are effectively cut out fromthe bottom segments 22 and 24.

The continuity of fold lines 26 and 28 is interrupted by cut patterns 46which extend into flaps 30 and 32 so as to define locking tongues 48 ina pattern so as to define locking ears 49 on the lateral extremities ofthe locking tongues 48. Also disrupting the continuity of fold lines 26and 28 are cut patterns 50 which define extensions 52. The cuts 50 areso positioned with respect to locking tongues that when the blank 10 isfolded through the sequence of operations illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3and 4, the locking tongue is inserted through the aperture provided inflap 32 to the positions more fully illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 2 the blank 10 is illustrated to have been first folded aboutfold line 12 and about fold lines 26 and 28. Further folding of theblank about fold lines 18 and 20 produces the FIG. 3 position, at whichpoint the locking tongues 48 are inserted through the apertures providedin the bottom segments 32 and 30 by the cut patterns 50 to produce theposition illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate theblank 10 fully folded and erected with a series of articles such asincandescent bulbs 54 in place suitable for use in automobiles or thelike.

As is best shown in FIG. 5, the flaps 39 are folded out of the plane ofsloping side walls 14 and 16 by insertion of the articles 54 so that theflaps 39 contact the bottom segments 22 and 24, thereby providing arigid support for the articles 54.

In addition, the flaps 30 and 32 provide bridging support members inthat they are folded to a substantially vertical position terminatingeither in contact with or immediately beneath apex 12 of blank so as toprevent any substantial vertical collapse of the apex of the erectedblank which forms a substantially triangular prism. In addition, thefeet 44 which are integral with and extensions of sloping side walls 14and 16 provide lateral support for the erected device. The locking ears49 on lock ing tongue 48 may be deformed so as to permit insertion ofthe locking tongues 48 within the aperture provided by cut patterns 50.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is illustrated another embodimentof the present invention wherein an adhesive is used to maintain thelocking flaps in vertical position so as to provide a bridging supportfor the apex of the device similar to the bridging support provided inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6. For ease in identification, featuresin FIGS. 7 and 8 similar to those in blank .10 exceed the numerals inthe previous embodiment by l00.

Thus the blank in FIG. 7 is identified generally by numeral 110. Thefold line forming the apex of the blank is identified by numeral 112.Blank 110 when fully folded and erected is provided with sloping sidewalls 114 and 116 which are bounded by fold lines 118 and 120respectively. Bottom segments 122 and 124 are attached integrally tosloping side walls 114 and 116 by means of fold lines 118 and 120respectively. Bottom segments 122 and 124 are provided with fold lines126 and 128 so as to define flaps 130 and 132. In this instance, foldlines 126 and 128 are noninterrupted as they extend completely acrossblank 110. Article support means are provided in blank 110 identical tothose used in blank 10. Thus there is illustrated a substantiallycircular cutout 134 from which extend radial slits 136 so as to define aseries of tongues 138. A flap 139, constituting a support member for thearticles when the blank is in fully folded and erected position, isattached to the sloping side walls 114 and 116 by means of the uncutportion 140 of the substantially circular cutout 134.

One again semicircular cut patterns define a series of feet 144 asextensions to the sloping side walls 114 and 116 with the feet 144effectively being cut from the bottom segments 122 and 124. The foldlines 118 and 120 do not extend across the attached portions of the feet144 so that they may function to provide rigidity to the display devicewhen erected in resisting lateral rocking movement thereto.

In this instance, and as fully illustrated in FIG. 8, an adhesive 156 isapplied to the underside of each of the flaps 130 and 132 which arefolded about lines 126 and 128 into vertical position and maintainedthereby by the adhesive to constitute bridging support members for theapex 112 of the fully folded and erected blank 110.

Once again the flaps 139 provide support members for a series ofarticles 154 which are inserted into the article receiving meansprovided by the substantially circular cuts 134 and radial slits 136which extend therefrom to provide a series of tongues 138.

The display device illustrated in the present invention has been foundto retain articles securely in the course of their shipment without lossto or dislodgment of the articles, It has also been found that it isadvantageous to be able to form the display device from a single blankwhich is sufficiently sturdy in and of itself so as to retain thedisplay articles while still revealing the nature thereof. It ispossible to use the display blank of this invention as an insertion inan outer carton with display window if desired. Alternatively, thedisplay device illustrated in this invention may be encapsulated in aheat shrinkable plastic film such as polyvinyl chloride, or the like, soas to fully reveal the nature of the articles.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formshereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising a pair of sloping walls joined to eachother by a fold line which defines an apex of the device, said slopingwalls having openings therein to receive articles to be displayed, afirst bottom panel connected to one of said sloping walls for hingedmovement about an axis generally parallel to said apex fold line, asecond bottom panel connected to the other of said sloping walls forhinged movement about an axis generally parallel to said apex fold line,a pair of support flaps each connected to one of the first and secondbottom panels along fold lines which are generally parallel to the apexfold line, each of said support flaps extending from its bottom panel tothe apex of the device and extending substantially the full dimension ofsaid apex, and means for securing said support flaps together to providesupport for said display device.

2. A display device as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for securingthe support flaps consists of locking members out from said supportflaps.

3. A display device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means forsecuring the support flaps consists of adhesive means between saidsupport flaps.

4. A display device as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said articlereceiving openings comprises a first substantially circular cut and aplurality of straight cuts terminating at one end on said substantiallycircular cut.

5. A display device as defined in claim 4 wherein said firstsubstantially circular cut defines a tab adapted to be pushed out of theplane of its sloping side wall into engagement with its respectivebottom panel.

6. A display device as defined in claim 1 wherein the device is providedwith a plurality of feet to provide lateral stability to said device,and said feet consisting of extensions of the sloping Walls of thedevice.

7. A display device comprising a pair of sloping walls joined to eachother by an apex fold line, each of said sloping walls having openingstherein to receive articles to be displayed, the openings in each ofsaid sloping walls being arranged in pairs opposite each other, a firstand second bottom panel each connected to one of said sloping walls forhinged movement about an axis generally parallel to said apex fold line,a pair of support flaps each connected to one of the first and secondbottom panels along fold lines which are generally parallel to the apexfold line, each of said support flaps extending from its bottom panel tothe apex of the device to provide a partition within said display deviceto prevent interference between the base portions of articles located insaid display openings, and means for securing the support flaps to eachother.

8. A display device as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said articlereceiving openings comprises a first substantially circular cut and aplurality of straight cuts terminating at one end on said substantiallycircular cut.

9. A display device as defined in claim 8 wherein said firstsubstantially circular cut defines a tab adapted to be pushed out of theplane of its sloping side wall into engagement with its respectivebottom panel.

10. A display device as defined in claim 7 wherein said device isprovided with a plurality of feet to provide lateral stability to saidcarton and said feet consist of extensions of said sloping walls of saidcarton.

11. A display device as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said articlereceiving openings comprises a first substantially circular cut and aplurality of straight cuts terminating at one end on said substantiallycircular cut.

12. A display device as defined in claim 11 wherein said firstsubstantially circular cut defines a tab adapted to be pushed out of theplane of its sloping side wall into engagement with its respectivebottom panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 2,449,530 9/1948 Lambert248-174 1,456,098 5/1923 Doane 248-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,161,646 9/1958France.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 206-4514; 211-73

